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There has been an increase in employees disengaging emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically from their work – a trend now known more widely as ‘quiet quitting’.
The trend involves employees disengaging from a job and doing the bare minimum and has raised eyebrows as a worrisome trend taking its toll on everyday businesses
Ncumisa Madinda, a member solutions executive at Momentum Corporate, said that this trend is a dangerous phenomenon that often masks underlying emotional and mental health issues.
According to Madinda, this trend speaks volumes about the pressing need to prioritise employee wellness and address the underlying factors contributing to this rise in mental health issues.
“When employees disengage, productivity plummets, decreasing creativity, innovation, and overall performance. As these individuals silently suffer, organisations face the risk of losing valuable talent, resulting in increased turnover rates and decreased employee morale.”
“This vicious cycle perpetuates a toxic work culture, hampering personal and professional growth,” said the executive.
A recent Mental State of the World 2022 report revealed that South Africa ranked among the lowest-scoring countries as socioeconomic fluctuations led to a deterioration of employee mental health.
While ‘quiet quitting’ is often associated with younger employees, the mental stresses that underpin the trend are not alien to older employees.
Madinda noted that people approaching retirement often face the daunting realisation that they have inadequate savings, leaving them overwhelmed and helpless.
“Financial pressures create a breeding ground for mental distress, forcing people into a silent resignation from their work and life ambitions,” said Madinda.
She said that the energy crisis is also often overlooked for having a deteriorating effect on employees’ mental state.
“Frequent power outages and uncertainties surrounding energy availability further contribute to stress and anxiety, leaving individuals grappling with personal and professional challenges. This is particularly true in remote and hybrid working environments.”
As a result of these compounding negative factors, South Africans have more reason to quit quietly.
To combat this, it is up to employers to prioritise employee wellness by creating a supportive work environment that will foster open communication, promote work-life balance and provide access to mental health resources.
Ultimately, employers can support employees, reversing the trend and fostering a healthier, more productive workforce.
Late last year, legal experts found that quiet quitting is only an unlawful way of leaving an occupation if an employee ends up doing less than they are mandated to do so in terms of their employment contract.
Read: Confidence collapses in South Africa
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